Lightweight unsinkable boat



March 3, 1970 R. a. BUREAU, JR 3,497,387

LIGHTWEIGHT UNSINKABLE BOAT Ffled Aug. 28, 1968 I 14 PFIGB INVENTOR Raymond Bui'eamIt AGENT 3,497,887 LIGHTWEIGHT UNSINKABLE BOAT Raymond E. Bureau, Jr., Kulp Road, Perkiemenville, Pa. 18074 Filed Aug. 28, 1968, Ser. No. 755,864 Int. Cl. B63!) 3/00, 43/10 U.S. C]. 9-6 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A small lightweight portable boat includes top and bottom halves each having a cavity therein. An opening extends through the top half. The two halves are suitably joined together with the cavities of the two halves being aligned with respect to each other to provide an open compartment within the boat.

Water sports including boating and surfing have gained much popularity in recent years. This has been partly as a result of the increased leisure time available and partly as a result of increased interest in outdoor exercises by people of all ages.

The appeal of water sports has not been limited to any particular group. For example, fishermen have great interest in portable small boats which they may carry to a small bay or lake. Teenagers find much enjoyment on surfboards because of their lightness, ease of handling and because of skill involved in riding such boards. Even tiny tots find enjoyment in water sports, as evidenced by the high sales of small backyard portable pools.

While boats have taken a wide variety of different forms, their designs have generally been directed towards a limited group, for example, fishermen or teenagers or other such groups. While such designs have in most cases served the purposes for which they were made, mass production of such items have been restricted because of such limited use and because of the fact that a relatively large number of parts have been involved. Consequently, the price per unit of the boats made heretofore has been necessarily high because of the limited groups towards which such boats have been directed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel device for water sports which will have high appeal to a large number of different groups of different ages.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel lightweight boat.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a novel boat which may be manufactured relatively inexpensively.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an improved, small lightweight boat which is resistant to water and which requires a minimum amount of main tenance.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a small, lightweight, unsinkable boat which is easy to handle and suitable for use in small water bodies.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a small, lightweight, portable boat which may be easily carried in much the same manner as a surfboard.

In accordance with the present invention, a lightweight plastic boat comprises top and bottom members having flat surfaces adapted to be joined together by adhesive or other suitable means. Each of the members include a cavity therein which are aligned with respect to each other when the two members are joined thereby providing an open compartment within the boat. The top member includes an opening extending therethrough to the compartment of the boat.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent and suggest themselves to those skilled United States Patent 3,497,887 Patented Mar. 3, 1970 lCC in the art from a reading of the following specification and claims, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view illustrating the main parts of a boat, in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 illustrates the boat of FIGURE 1 in its assembled condition, and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the boat illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, a boat 10 includes a top main body member 12 and a bottom main body member 14. In the embodiment illustrated, the two halves or main bodies 12 and 14 may be symmetrical with respect to each other.

The main bodies 12 and 14 include flat surfaces 16 and 18, respectively, adapted to be joined together by a waterproof adhesive 20 or by any other suitable means. The main bodies 12 and 14 include cavities 22 and 24, respectively. The main top body 12 includes an opening 26 which extends through the top main body to the cavity 22.

When the top and bottom halves 12 and 14 are joined together, the cavities 22 and 24 are oppositely aligned with respect to each other to form an open compartment within the boat 10. A person can now enter the boat through the opening 26 and extend his legs into the compartment provided by the two aligned cavities. A relatively smooth fitting 28 may be provided to fit into the opening 26 to cover any rough surfaces in the opening as "well as minimizing any wear as a result of a person rubbing against the opening as he gets in and out of the boat 10.

It is noted that the cavity 24 in the IbOttOl'Il half member 14 includes stepped portions 30 and 32 to provide a seat for a person in the boat. Likewise, the top half member 12 also may include stepped portions 34 and 36. The stepped portion 34 extending in the opposite direction than the stepped portion 30 when the boat is assembled provides leg and knee room within the compartment of the boat.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, as mentioned, the top and bottom members 12 and 14 are substantially symmetrical with respect to each other. This facilitates the manufacture of the parts involved thereby making larger production runs possible to mini mize the cost involved, In some cases, however, the main bodies may be of somewhat different designs.

The boat 10 is preferably made of foam plastic. One such foam plastic may be polystyrene bead foam. However, any cellular material that is resistant to water may be used. When foam plastic is used, the resulting boat 10 is light in weight and is capable of being carried in much the same manner as a surfboard, for example.

One method of manufacturing the two main halves of the boat may be by molding both parts from the same die. When expandible polystyrene bead foam material is used, the process includes charging the beads to the mold. The bottom section of the mold includes a cavity shaped to the external contour of one of the main body members 12 and 14, which in the embodiment illustrated, would involve only one shape. The top section of the mold used would include a core or element shaped to form the cavity within the main body when the two sections of the mold are moved together to form the member. Thus when two sections of a mold come together and heat is applied, the member 12 or 14 will be formed.

When the top and bottom sections of the mold come together, the polystyrene beads are heated within the mold to complete expansion of the foam within the mold. The molded part is then cooled until it is stable enough to be removed from the mold.

If urethane foam is used as the material for the b oat, the components involved in the molding are simultaneously blended and pumped into the mold chamber. As the reactive liquid expands up to approximately 30 times its original volume, it fills the entire mold. The molding may be accomplished at room temperature or molds may be preheated to speed the curing operation.

After the top member 12 has been formed, the opening 26 may be cut into it by any suitable means, such as applying a hot cylindrical tube to melt the plastic or by sawing. The fitting 28 may be press fitted into the opening 26 or adhesive may be applied to hold the fitting in the opening 26.

Being made of a lightweight foam plastic material and being inexpensive and versatile, the boat 10 provides a type of device which has an appeal to a Wide variety of different age groups. In addition to being used as a conventional small boat, the plastic boat described may be used in many areas where surfboards enjoy popularity. Because a person is able to enter and sit in the boat, the device may be used by very young children where surf boards are used. The skill of mounting the surfboard is not required when the boat of the present invention is used.

The lightness of the boat described makes it possible to handle and carry it easily. Consequently, fishermen and others will find it useful because of its convenience and portability. The boat may be used in the ocean, a pool, creek, stream or lake. Even the most timid can sit in it and ride the surf or lie on it, straddle or paddle it as they desire.

It is apparent that the boat described may take a variety of ditferent forms other than the embodiment described. For example, it may be desirable to add certain items to the structure illustrated. An outrigger can be attached for increasing the stability of the boat. A sail may be easily installed on the boat. Most of the conventional items used with conventionalboats may be usually used 'with the boat of the present invention, if desired. The addition of such conventional features would be obvious and therefore such features are not illustrated or described in detail.

The plastic boat illustrated could include reinforcements inserted within the plastic during manufacture to increase the rigidity of the boat, if desired. Also, the top half member may be of a different design than the bottom half member. However, the economy of a single mold in manufacturing and the large production of a single type member to make the boat would not be realized.

What is claimed is:

1. A boat having top and bottom bodies of light cellular material resistant to Water, said bodies having substantially identical exterior surfaces, each of said top and bottom bodies having a major flat joining surface with a like-positioned cavity extending therefrom on one side and a contoured opposite side, said top..body including an opening joining aid cavity from it contoured opposite side, means for joining said major flat surface of said top body to said major flat surface of said bottom body so that said like positioned cavities are aligned to form an open compartment for a person therewithin, said top and bottom bodies of light cellular material having a buoyancy which causes said boat to float as on a body of water even when said open compartment contains Water.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,376,753 5/1945 Bowen 96 3,133,294 5/1964 Kunz 96 TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 114-68 

